Located on the western border of Plano, Arbor Hills Nature Preserve is a 200-acre park featuring vast areas of natural beauty for walking, jogging, hiking, orienteering and other outdoor activity. Amenities include playground, restrooms, a three-mile paved recreational trail, 2.8-mile designated off-road cycling trail, a natural biofilter for cleaning surface runoff, observation tower and pavilion. Trail system maps are available and there is an interpretive trail marker system to help identify features in the park.

Arbor Hills Nature Preserve encompasses three distinct eco-regions. Blackland prairie, which contains large expanses of grasses and wildflowers with few trees is named for its black clay soil. Riparian forest is tangled with forests growing along a creek or river. The word riparian comes from the Latin word for river. The tangle of trees, shrub and vines growing thickly along the creeks at Arbor Hills can create the feeling of a jungle. Upland forest is found at higher elevations in the park at a distance from the creeks. The upland forest at Arbor Hills Nature Preserve is unusual because most of the forested areas in our region are found along waterways.

Location: 6701 Parker Rd, Plano. For more information, call 972-941-7250.